True words seem false.

The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth. The named is the mother of all things.

Thirty spokes are joined in the wheel's hub. The hole in the middle makes it useful.

There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born. It is serene. Empty. Solitary. Unchanging. Infinite. Eternally present. It is the mother of the universe. For lack of a better name, I call it the Tao. It flows through all things, inside and outside, and returns to the origin of all things. The Tao is great. The universe is great. Earth is great. Man is great. These are the four great powers. Man follows the earth. Earth follows the universe. The universe follows the Tao. The Tao follows only itself.

If I have just an ounce of sense, I follow the great Way, and fear only to stray from it.

People are born soft and weak. They die hard and stiff.

Have patience. Wait until the mud settles and the water is clear. Remain unmoving until right action arises by itself.